20. for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.
21. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.
22. For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.”
23. And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.”
24. And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.”
25. And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”
26. And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her.
27. And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison
28. and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.
29. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
30. The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.
31. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
32. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves.
33. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.
34. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.
35. And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.
36. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”
37. But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?”